Stop Joking Around
by TheShanTM
Summary: Two-Bit thinks about life after the events of the book and finds it harder to make jokes.


**A/N: Man, I love Songfics. And Two-Bit. He's my favorite, partly because I find him hilarious and partly because my friends say he reminded them of me. Anyways, before I get off rambling again, here's a random Songfic for you. I may randomly put some of these up between updates of my other fic, because they're fun to write and get my 'creative juice flowing.' (As my English teacher would say.) So, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders, the song, or the band.**

**Song: Stop Joking Around**

**Artist: Hawksley Workman**

**Fandom: The Outsiders**

**Characters: Two-Bit, Kathy**

**Pairings: Two-BitxKathy**

**Word Count: 1082**

**Summery: Two-Bit thinks about life after the events of the book and finds it harder to make jokes.**

**Stop Joking Around**

'_Stop joking around for one minute_

_I'd rather cry right now_

_And play those sad notes on the piano'_

"Tell me a joke, Two-Bit!" She begged, and I looked away.

"I don't know, Kathy, I don't really feel up to it right now..."

She groaned. "Oh, come on! Eventually I'm gonna get tired of that excuse, you know. One of the whole reasons I liked you in the first place was your sense of humor, and now you're just going to give that up? C'mon..."

"I'm not in much of a joking mood, okay? In case you've forgotten, two of my friends just died last week," I snapped, and instantly regretted it. I knew Kathy was just trying to cheer me up.

She was like that.

She could always tell when I needed a bit of cheering up, and she made it her own personal mission to do so. It was one of the reasons I actually stuck around with her for such a long time.

"I haven't forgotten," She said quietly. I sighed.

Glory, I'm a bastard. She was only trying to help, and I've gone and made her upset, I thought, cursing myself silently.

"Kathy, I'm sorry," I said, "I'm just still torn up and all..."

_'Let the rest of the band go home_

_'Cause I'll lead you until morning_

_Please be here until the morning_

_Hold my hand until the morning_

_Brings the light of day to our eyes'_

I kissed her gently on the top of her pretty blond head and let out a quiet sigh.

We sat alone on my bed.

We'd been on a date earlier that night with Evie and Steve, and they'd come over here for a little while, but they'd gone home hours ago.

Normally, Kathy would've left with them, and I didn't ask her to stay. It was just a sort of unspoken agreement that she ought to tonight.

I realized with a blink that, for once, she wasn't complaining about how messy my room was, or that my house smelled like dirty dishes, or that my bed was so piled up with clothes there was barely room for us to sit.

She wasn't complaining about anything.

She was just sitting here with me and being there for me.

"Kathy," I said quietly," Will you stay with me until morning?" I realized, even as I was saying it, that I really needed her to stay with me, not so that we could do the things we normally did when she stayed over, which was mess around all night long, but simply because I didn't want to be alone. I just needed her to be here.

"Of course I will, Two-Bit," She answered softly, grabbing my hand as she said it, "You don't even need to ask.

_'And smell the burning leaves in autumn driveways_

_We'll be out on the road to way past supper_

_And leave the lamp lit low beside the window_

_If you can mop up a waterfall'_

I swallowed and blinked my eyes. I didn't even realize I was crying until she quietly reached up and brushed a tear of my cheek.

"Glory," I sniffed, "I must look real tuff about now, bawlin' like a baby. I bet I'm the biggest wimp you've ever been with, eh, Kathy?"

When I looked to her for confirmation on the statement, she was smiling.

"Not the biggest," She said in a tone of sarcastic thoughtfulness, "But you're pretty far up there on the list."

I laughed through the tears. This girl sure knew how to get to me.

I closed my eyes and tried to pull myself together. I just couldn't be bawlin' like this in front of my girl.

I was supposed to be tough, wasn't I? I was a Greaser, for God's sake. Greasers don't just break down and start crying out of nowhere, no sirree.

Of course, I was a Greaser who'd just lost two of my gang, less than a week ago. Maybe I was allowed to cry, just a little bit.

At least, I hoped I was. If not, I sure was making a fool of myself.

_'Cause I'll lead you until morning_

_Please be here until the morning_

_Hold my hand until the morning_

_Brings the light of day to our eyes'_

I glance back up at Kathy, and I know that tomorrow, I'll be okay, and we won't ever speak of this weak moment again.

We won't have to.

We'll know that it happened, and that'll be that. No one else will need to know.

And maybe, on the surface, nothing would have changed. On the surface, we'll be the same tomorrow as we were two weeks ago, when Dallas and Johnny were still here and we didn't have a care in the world and I couldn't stop making funny remarks to save my life.

But in reality, we'll never be like that again.

Sure, sooner or later, we'll be able to accept that Dally and Johnny are gone, even if we'll never be able to let go completely. Sure, I'll still make jokes.

But, after what happened, we'll always be scared, always have that little reminder in the backs of our minds that we're not invincible. I'll have to try a little harder to laugh like nothing's happened, and maybe those funny remarks won't come as easily to me anymore.

Through all of this, everything that's happened, it's impossible for us to stay exactly the same.

But we won't lose who we are, either.

_'Just hop a train, you hate to fly_

_Come see the pictures of my eyes_

_You want to laugh, I want to cry, cry, cry, cry'_

I let out a shaky breath.

"Are you okay, Two-Bit?" Kathy asked quietly. I smiled slightly.

"I think I'd be better if I had some beer..."

She chuckled softly.

"Get your own damn beer," She replied.

I smiled slightly.

I still wanted to cry.

I probably would for a while.

But if she wanted to laugh, than I was damn sure going to make a joke every chance I got, because, in a way, that was my own way of getting through this, and hers, too.

Not to mention hearing her laugh helped a hell of a lot with making me feel better.

And, after all, I'm determined not to lose who I am, ain't I?

And this is who I am.

I'm Two-Bit Matthews, the crazy, easygoing, drunk joker who steals everything that ain't tied down and can't stop making funny remarks to save my life, even if I happen to be making those remarks to the police who're arresting me. I don't want to ever let that go.

_'Please be here until the morning_

_Hold my hand until the morning_

_Chase my fears until the morning_

_Till you promise life_

_Please be here'_

**A/N: So, how was it? It was sort of a spur-of-the-moment thing I just felt like writing at 12:00 AM, so it probably sucks, but I hope you didn't lose too many brain cells reading it. Kathy isn't really described in detail in the book, but I'd imagine she's blond, since Two-Bit does love his blonds, and I would guess she has a sense of humor similar to his. Two-Bit may have been OOC, if he was, I'm sorry. Hope you enjoyed it, please review and check out my other stories!**


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